THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Davao Region installed an Automated Weather Station (AWS) at the proposed AgriTourism Center of the Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology (KCAST) in Barangay Capungagan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte.
According to official reports released by the college, the installation was completed on August 25 through DOST-Davao's Project Sarai, in coordination with KCAST personnel and the Kapalong Municipal Engineering Office.
The setup follows a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on August 20 by the Local Government Unit of Kapalong, KCAST, DOST-Davao, and the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) to formalize their collaboration on smart agricultural technology.
The AWS facility generates real-time, localized climate data to support science-based crop management, micro-climate forecasting, and risk-mitigation strategies for local farmers.
The deployment expands DOST-Davao’s network of smart agricultural tools across the region. In agency reports detailing regional tech rollouts, DOST-Davao noted that Project Sarai operations and AWS units are also active in Davao City — focusing on priority high-value crops like cacao, coffee, banana, and coconut.
Research institutions like UP Mindanao and monitoring sites across Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte have partnered with the department after the project’s initial regional introduction in 2017.
According to KCAST's event report, DOST-Davao Sarai Alternate Focal Ross Fievanni Inguillo delivered a message of commitment, pledging the agency's continued support for technology-driven farming initiatives.
Led nationally by UPLB and funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (Pcaarrd), Project Sarai integrates weather monitoring, site-specific advisories, and science-based interventions to protect crop yields against extreme weather conditions. GRS
